JPH11163913A - Repeater with virtual lan function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a repeater with a virtual LAN function that can recognize a connection between a tag port and non-tag port and can change setting of the virtual LAN when the tag port and the non-tag port are connected. SOLUTION: This device has information for dividing stations 13 to 16 to be connected into groups as virtual LAN information (tag) and performs communication between a repeater 11 and a repeater 12 by a communication frame with a tag. The repeater 12 has a non-tag port 123 for performing communication with the repeater 11, a communication port 122 for performing communication with a station 15 and a communication port 121 for performing communication with a management station 16. When the communication port 123 receives a communication frame 1102 with a tag, this receptions is detected and the tag is held. Also this detection is notified of to the management station 16 and the virtual LAN information is changed by the frame 1104 from the management station 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication port,
A virtual LAN (Local Area Network) that divides each terminal into groups based on a C (Medium Access Control) address, a communication protocol, and the like and restricts communication to only within the same group.
k) a relay device having a function and a function of forming a virtual LAN network with a plurality of relay devices by performing communication between the relay devices with communication data including virtual LAN grouping information (Tag); The present invention relates to a relay device with a virtual LAN function that has a function of recognizing an abnormality of a virtual LAN and can correct the abnormality from a management station even when the virtual LAN is in an abnormal state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As conventionally known, virtual LA
N groups the terminals connected to the relay device and other relay devices according to the MAC address, the communication port, the communication protocol, and the like, performs frame relay only within the same group, and increases the communication bandwidth of the entire network. This is a function to be used effectively. Hereinafter, a method of forming a virtual LAN network by a plurality of relay devices according to the Tag method will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a virtual LAN network formed by the Tag method using a conventional relay device with a virtual LAN function. The network shown in FIG. 2 includes two interconnected relay devices 31 and 32.
And two stations (terminals) 3 connected to the relay device 31
3 and 34, and two stations 3 connected to the relay device 32.
5, 36. In addition, the relay device 31
Communication ports 311 connected to the stations 33 and 34, respectively;
312 and communication port 3 connected to relay device 32
13, and the relay device 32 has communication ports 321 and 322 connected to the stations 35 and 36, respectively, and a communication port 323 connected to the relay device 31.

The relay devices 31 and 32 are equipped with a virtual LAN function based on Tag. Here, the station 33 connected to the communication port 311 of the relay device 31 and the station 35 connected to the communication port 321 of the relay device 32 form a virtual LAN group 1, and the communication port of the relay device 31 The station 34 connected to 312 and the station 36 connected to the communication port 322 of the relay device 32
N group 2 is formed. The communication port 313 of the relay device 31 and the communication port 323 of the relay device 32 are Tag ports.

FIG. 3 shows virtual LAN information possessed by the relay device. FIG. 3A illustrates a virtual LA included in the relay device 31.
3B shows virtual LAN information included in the relay device 32. FIG. Here, when the station 33 communicates with the station 35 via the two relay devices 31 and 32, the relay device 3
1 shows the communication frame 3101 received from the station 33 as shown in FIG.
The virtual LAN information shown in (1) above is added as a tag and relayed to the relay device 32 as a communication frame 3102.
That is, the communication frame 3102 includes, as a tag, an identifier indicating the virtual LAN group 1 to which the transmission source (station 33) belongs as shown in (1) of FIG. The relay device 32 determines that the communication frame 3102 is a virtual L based on the contents of the Tag.
Recognizing that the communication frame is from the AN group 1, the tag is removed from the communication frame 3102 and transferred to the station 35 as the communication frame 3103.

When station 33 attempts to communicate with station 36,
The relay apparatus 31 receives the communication frame 3104 from the station 33 and transfers it to the relay apparatus 32 as a communication frame 3105 with a tag in the same manner as described above. The relay device 32 recognizes from the contents of the tag of the communication frame with tag 3105 that the communication frame with tag 3105 is a communication frame from the virtual LAN group 1, and sends this information to the station 36 belonging to the virtual LAN group 2. Without transferring the communication frame,
Discard this.

[0007]

However, according to the conventional relay device with a virtual LAN function as shown in FIG. 2, setting of the virtual LAN by Tag sets the information of the virtual LAN to each relay device. Therefore, there is a problem that inconsistent virtual LANs may be set between the relay devices. In particular, when the virtual LAN is set so that the Tag port and the non-Tag port are connected, there is a problem that the communication frame with the Tag is transmitted not only between the relay devices but also to the terminal.

In addition, since a normal terminal cannot interpret a communication frame with a tag, a communication frame with a tag is interpreted as an incomplete communication frame and is discarded, or is received as an abnormal communication frame. Could cause.

In order to correct the above state, it is necessary to change the setting of the information of the virtual LAN of the relay device.
If there is a connection between a tag port and a non-tag port between the management device and the relay device whose setting is to be changed, the conventional virtual L
The relay device with the AN function has a problem that the setting of the relay device cannot be changed via the network.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to recognize the connection between a Tag port and a non-Tag port, and when the Tag port and the non-Tag port are connected, a virtual LA
An object of the present invention is to provide a relay device with a virtual LAN function that can change the setting of N.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has, as virtual LAN information, information in which connected terminals are grouped, and performs another relay using a frame including the virtual LAN information. A relay device with a virtual LAN function that communicates with a device, a first port that communicates with another relay device, a second port that communicates with a terminal,
Is a port that does not correspond to the virtual LAN information, and receives a frame including the virtual LAN information from another relay device, recognizes the virtual LAN information included in the frame, and, based on the recognition result, Recognizing means for recognizing that an abnormality has occurred on the virtual LAN,
A relay device with a virtual LAN function is provided.

[0012]

FIG. 1 shows a virtual LAN according to the present invention.
1 shows a network using a relay device with a function. FIG.
The network shown in FIG. 3 includes two interconnected relay devices 11 and 12, two stations (terminals) 13 and 14 connected to the relay device 11, and a station 15 connected to the relay device 12. And the management station 16. The relay device 11 includes communication ports 111 and 112 connected to the stations 13 and 14, respectively, and the relay device 1
And a communication port 113 connected to the relay device 12.
Is a communication port 122 connected to the station 15 and the management station 1
6 and a communication port 123 connected to the relay device 11. Relay device 11
Is a Tag port, and the communication port 123 of the relay device 12 is a non-Tag port.

Here, when communication is performed from the station 13 to the station 15, the relay apparatus 11 receives the communication frame 1101 addressed to the station 15 from the station 13 and attaches a tag to the communication frame 1101 to add the communication frame.
The data is transmitted to the relay device 12 as 1102. The relay device 12
By monitoring the received frames of the communication ports 121, 122 and 123 and referring to the data of the tag information storage position in the frames, it is possible to determine whether or not the communication frames include Tag information. The communication frame 1102 received at 123 is determined.

When the relay apparatus 12 receives the communication frame 1102 at the communication port 123, the relay frame 12
It detects that g information is included. Communication port 12
Since 3 is not a Tag port, the relay device 12 detects that an abnormality has occurred on the virtual LAN. At this time, the contents of the tag of the communication frame with tag 1102 received at the communication port 123 are held.

The relay device 12 transmits a communication frame 1103 (SN
Tra of MP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
The notification of the occurrence of an abnormality is sent to the management station 16 by the “p notification”. The administrator of the virtual LAN sends the relay device 1 from the management station 16.
By changing the configuration of one or twelve virtual LANs, the abnormality of the virtual LAN can be resolved.

For example, a management frame 1104 for control is transmitted from the management device 16 to the relay device 12, and the management frame
The communication port 123 of the relay device 12 is tagged by 1104
Ports can be used to resolve virtual LAN abnormalities.

Further, by setting the communication port 113 of the relay device 11 to a non-Tag port, the abnormality of the virtual LAN can be resolved. In this case, the following processing is performed. First, the management device 16 transmits a management frame 1104 for control to the relay device 12. This management frame 1104 is received by the communication port 121 of the relay device 12. The relay device 12 transmits the stored Tag information to the management frame 1104.
, And transmitted as a communication frame 1105 from the communication port 123. The relay apparatus 11 receives this frame at the communication port 113, and executes the requested management operation (that is, the process of setting the communication port 113 to a non-Tag port).

[0018]

As described above, according to the relay apparatus with the virtual LAN function of the present invention, it is possible to recognize the reception of the communication frame with the tag and to retain the tag information. It is possible to detect the reception of a communication frame with a tag other than the above, notify the management station of the abnormality of the virtual LAN, and change the setting of the virtual LAN information based on information from the management station.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a network using a relay device with a virtual LAN function of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a network using a conventional relay device with a virtual LAN function.

FIG. 3 shows a virtual LA included in the relay device with a virtual LAN function.
It is a figure showing N information.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 12, 31, 33 relay device 13, 14, 15, 33, 34, 35, 36 stations 16 management stations 111, 112, 121, 122, 123 Non-Tag
Communication ports 113, 313, 323 Tag communication ports 311, 312, 321, 322 Non-Tag communication ports 1101, 3101, 3103, 3104 Communication frames 1102, 1105, 3102, 3105 Communication frames with tags 1103, 1104 Management communication frames

Claims (4)

[Claims] An apparatus has information obtained by grouping connected terminals as virtual LAN (Local Area Network) information,
A relay device with a virtual LAN function for communicating with another relay device in a frame including the virtual LAN information, wherein: a first port for communicating with the other relay device; and a second port for communicating with the terminal. When the first port is a port that does not correspond to the virtual LAN information,
And a recognition unit for recognizing the virtual LAN information included in the frame when receiving a frame including information, and recognizing that an abnormality has occurred on the virtual LAN based on the recognition result. Relay device with virtual LAN function. 2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is a terminal for managing a virtual LAN, and the recognizing unit is configured to control the virtual LA included in the frame.
2. The virtual LA according to claim 1, wherein when the N information is recognized, the virtual LAN management terminal is notified of an abnormality.
Relay device with N function. 3. The relay device with a virtual LAN function according to claim 2, wherein the virtual LAN management terminal changes the configuration of the virtual LAN when notified of an abnormality. 4. The first port holds the virtual LAN information when the recognizing unit recognizes the virtual LAN information included in the frame, and stores the virtual LAN information in a management frame from the virtual LAN information management terminal. The relay apparatus adds the held virtual LAN information and transmits the virtual LAN information to the other relay device, and the other relay device determines that the port that transmitted the frame is the virtual LA from the port corresponding to the virtual LAN information.
3. The relay device with a virtual LAN function according to claim 2, wherein the port is changed to a port that does not correspond to the N information.